Alligator-wrench.



R. ACTON.

' ALLIGATOR WRENCH.

APPLICATION man 1M. 20. 1915.

l 1 38,, 1 68, Patented May 4, 1915.

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r & HIIIIlllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll ROBERT QCTQN UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT ACTON, OF LA SALLE, ILLINOIS.

ALLIGATOR-WRENCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 4, 1915.

Application. filed January 20, 1915. Serial No. 3,305.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I,-'Ronnn'r Ao'roN, a citizen of the United States, residing at La Salle,

in the county of La Salle and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful fixed jaw and shifted into locked or unlocked position by means of the thumb.

A further object of the invention is to so construct the wrench that the movable jaw may be held positively locked when in oporation and by the strain exerted upon the movable jaw.

Other objects will appear in the course of the following description.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein- I Figure 1 is a side elevation of a wrench constructed in accordance with my invention, partly broken away to show the pivotal mounting for the movable jaw. Fig. 2 is an edge view of the construction shown in 1g. 1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view of a wrench showing the modified means for locking the movable jaw.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 it will be seen that my improved wrench comprises a handle 2, and formed integral with this handle is the fixed j aw 3 which has the usual shape of an alligator wrench jaw and which is formed on its inner edge face with the transverse teeth 4. At the base of the fixed jaw 3 there is formed an inwardly and rear- 1 wardly extending recess 5 opening at one end upon the toothed face of the jaw and at its other end at 6 upon the inner face of the handle. The end wall of the recess 5 intersects the edge face of the handle at an acute angle, as shown clearly in Fig. 1, and extending across this recess is the pivot pin 7.

The movable jaw 8 at its rear end is defiected as at 9,the deflected portion being rounded, and the rear end of the jaw being formed with a series of ratchet teeth 10 which coact with the relatively sharp edge 6 formed by the intersection of the rear wall of the recess with the inner face of the handle. This jaw 8 at its base is longitudinally slotted as at 11 for the passage of the pivot pm 7 With the parts as before described, it is obvlous that the movable jaw 8 may be shifted to different angular positions with relation to the fixed jaw, and that when the movable jaw is shifted rearward the teeth 10 will engage with the edge 6 of the end wall, this edge constituting a fixed detent tooth, and the movable jaw will thereby be held in adjusted relation to the fixed jaw. It will also be obvious that when it. is desired to disengage the wrench it is only necessary to move the movable jaw forward out of contact with the detent, and that under these circuml stances the thumb may be used to open the movable jaw.

In Fig. 3 I have shown another form of the invention operating upon exactly the same principle as thedevice shown in Fig. 1, but varying in the details of construction. In this figure 2 desi nates the handle of the wrench and 12 the xed jaw, there being a recess 13 at the base of the fixed jaw WlllCll corresponds to the recess 5. The movable jaw 14 is slotted as at 15 for. the passage of a pivot pin 16, and the rear end of the movable jaw is formed with a plurality of spaced recesses 17 defined by teeth. These teeth, however, extend radially'outward and are not ratchet teeth as are the teeth 10 in Fig. 1. The end wall of the recess 13 does actly the same manner as the other form of wrench.

It will be seen from Fig. 1 that the movable jaw 8 is shown as being smooth upon its inner face, while the fixed jaw is toothed. It will of course be understood that either or both jaws may be toothed if desired.

I have found that my device is very easily used, and very convenient. The construction is simple and may be very cheaply-made.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A wrench of the character described including a fixed jaw, a movable jaw having pivotal and sliding engagement with the fixed jaw, said movable jaw being formed at its base with a" series of teeth, there being a detent disposed behind the teeth and with which one of the teeth is adapted to engage upon a rearward movement of the movable jaw relative to the fixed jaw to thereby hold the movable jaw in adjusted angular relation to the fixed jaw.

2. In a wrench of the character described, a handle, a fixed jaw extending from the handle, the handle being recessed at the base of thefixed jaw and there being a detent formed on the wall of the recess, a movable jaw having an ofiset base portion longitudi nally slotted, the rear edge face of the base of the movable jaw being formed with :1

plurality of teeth, and a pin passing throughthe slot and the walls of the recess, said pin thereby providing pivotal support for the fixed aw to permit the movement of the fixed jaw rearward to carry its teeth into engagement with the detent whereby the movable jaw may be held in any angular adjusted position.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT ACTON.

Witnesses RAYMOND HEROER,

FRED O. FRANL. 

